Vitamin D Status: A Different Story in the Very Young versus the Very Old Romanian Patients

PLoS One. 2015 May 29;10(5):e0128010. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128010. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Background: In Romania (latitude 48°15'N to 43°40'N), vitamin D supplementation is common practice mostly in infants 0-1 year old. No published information is available regarding epidemiological data on vitamin D status in the Romanian population for a wide age range and geographical territory. In this context, we aimed to evaluate the seasonal and age variation of vitamin D status in a large Romanian population.

Methods: 6631 individuals from across Romania had performed 7544 vitamin D assessments (2012-2014) in a chain of private laboratories. Vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D2 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3) was measured using High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Vitamin D levels were classified as severe deficiency<10 ng/mL, deficiency 10-20 ng/mL, insufficiency 21-29 ng/mL, sufficiency ≥ 30 ng/mL and potentially harmful>100 ng/ml.

Results: Male to female ratio was 1:2.9. Age ranged from 0 to 85 years. Mean vitamin D levels increased from April (26.3n g/ml) to September (35.6 ng/ml) and decreased from October (33.5 ng/ml) to March (24.4 ng/ml). Overall 40% had sufficient vitamin D, while the rest were insufficient 33%, deficient 22%, severely deficient 4% and 1% potentially harmful (of them 81% under 1 year old). Males compared to females showed higher percentages of sufficiency (47% vs. 38%). Children 0- 2 years presented the highest percentage of vitamin D sufficiency (77%). Lowest percentages (21%) of sufficiency were in people 80-84 years.

Conclusion: In Romania, suboptimal vitamin D levels are common (59%), especially in older age, wintertime and in women. Vitamin D supplementation would be most warranted from January to April in the Romanian population. 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels > 100 ng/ml were relatively prevalent in children 0-1 year old (17.3%). This was attributed to supplementation errors and the fact that high-risk individuals were more likely to visit for medical check-up. Nonetheless, it stresses the need to increase awareness of the importance of preventing Vitamin D supplementation administration errors in the young.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2 / blood
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Calcifediol / blood
  • Calcium / blood
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Parathyroid Hormone / blood
  • Romania / epidemiology
  • Seasons
  • Vitamin D / blood*
  • Vitamin D Deficiency / epidemiology
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Parathyroid Hormone
  • Vitamin D
  • 25-Hydroxyvitamin D 2
  • Calcifediol
  • Calcium

Grants and funding

Chirita-Emandi Adela is a Postdoctoral fellow under the frame of European Social Fund, Human Resources Development Operational Programme 2007–2013, project no. POSDRU/159/1.5/136893. Maria Puiu was funded under Operational program: Development of existing infrastructure and creation of new infrastructure (laboratories, research centers). POSCCE-A2-O2.2.1-2013-1, in the Center of Genomic Medicine from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes” Timisoara. These funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. All other authors received no specific funding for this work. Co-author Anca Calapiș is employed by Bioclinica Laboratoarele, SA. Bioclinica Laboratoarele provided support in the form of salary for author AC, but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific role of this author is articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section.